1. Field of the Invention
The present patent application relates to the field of alternative energy sources, more specifically, an apparatus and method for capturing and storing hydrogen for use in hydrogen fuel cells. Hydrogen is separated from water utilizing a floating apparatus comprising a photovoltaic cell for generating electric current. The hydrogen is then absorbed by an absorption rod comprising a titanium or equivalent core upon which zeolite core material has been grown utilizing methods known in the art. Once a desired amount of hydrogen has been absorbed by zeolite core material of the hydrogen absorption rod, the hydrogen absorption rod is removed from the apparatus and is available for use in a hydrogen fuel cell.
2. Background of the Invention
Hydrogen fuel cells are well known in the art, and have been used for many years in a wide variety of applications. FIG. 1 depicts a schematic diagram exemplary of a typical hydrogen fuel cell. Hydrogen fuel cells are based upon the principle that the recombination of hydrogen and oxygen atoms to form water will result in the generation of an electric current, if the recombination is carried out in an appropriate structure. Exemplary uses of hydrogen fuel cells are the National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA) use of such cells to provide power onboard spacecraft and in experimental ground vehicles. Recent research has also focused on the use of hydrogen fuel cells as an alternative power source for use in ground vehicles, specifically automobiles. Constantly increasing fossil fuel costs, and the instability in nations that are the foreign sources of fossil fuels, has driven both the United States government and private industry to investigate, research, refine, and experiment with the use of hydrogen fuel cells as an alternative source of power.
Hydrogen fuel cells are a low-polluting alternative fuel source whose only by-product is pure water, and they therefore represent an attractive alternative to fossil fuels that contribute to the accumulation of harmful greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere, are increasingly expensive, and are not renewable.
Hydrogen fuel cells therefore potentially provide significant benefits over the use of fossil fuels. However, hydrogen fuel cells require gaseous hydrogen as fuel. Gaseous hydrogen is typically stored in pressurized tanks, which are prone to explosion and leaking and therefore require expensive safety precautions during filling, storage, transportation, and use. The cost association with such safety precautions, as well as the inherent danger in handling and storing pressurized hydrogen, currently represent a significant disadvantage in the use of hydrogen cells as an alternative fuel source.
Methods for separating hydrogen from water are also known in the art. Hydrogen is typically separated from water by passing an electric current through the water. This process for separating hydrogen from water is conventionally known in the art. However, the electric current required for this operation is typically generated by electric power plants which themselves typically generate pollutants. Thus, the methods utilized in the art for generating hydrogen gas result in undesired environmental pollution. An alternative solution for generating the required electric current for the hydrogen separation process is the use of solar-generated electric current. However, solar cells typically require large surface areas and therefore suffer from the drawback that such large solar arrays are difficult to fabricate, store, maintain, and operate. Furthermore, large-area solar arrays suffer from large structural loads due to wind, snow, rain, and other environmental factors; and even if large-area arrays are utilized for generating the electric current required to separate hydrogen from water, the water must be transported to the array at great expense, or the electric current from the solar array must be transmitted to the source of water. Such electric transmission would necessarily result in ohmic losses due to the resistance of the transmission medium (for example, the electrical conductors and contacts), thereby reducing the efficiency of production. Such large arrays also lack portability, thus any such installation would necessarily suffer from the high cost of transporting the array should it be desired to do so.
Other patents and printed patent application publications disclose various aspects of the prior art of separating hydrogen from water, especially seawater. These are:                US2002/0005360 A1 to Haug et al., filing date Feb. 14, 2001;        2) US202/0060161 A1 to Roe et al., filing date Jan. 31, 2001;        3) U.S. Pat. No. 4,011,149 to Nozik, filing date Nov. 17, 1975;        4) U.S. Pat. No. 4,021,323 to Kilbey et al., filing date Jul. 28, 1975;        5) U.S. Pat. No. 4,045,546 to DuPont, filing date Aug. 6, 1976;        6) U.S. Pat. No. 4,061,555 to Miyantani et al., filing date Jan. 19, 1977;        7) U.S. Pat. No. 4,076,904 to Chen, filing date Nov. 11, 1976;        8) U.S. Pat. No. 4,090,933 to Nozik, filing date Nov. 26, 1976;        9) U.S. Pat. No. 4,094,751 to Nozik, filing date Sep. 30, 1976;        10) U.S. Pat. No. 4,160,816 to Williams et al., filing date Dec. 5, 1977;        11) U.S. Pat. No. 4,236,984 to Grantham, filing date Nov. 21, 1979;        12) U.S. Pat. No. 4,263,111 to Hooper et al., filing date Dec. 17, 1979;        13) U.S. Pat. No. 4,305,794 to Davidson et al., filing date Apr. 18, 1979        14) U.S. Pat. No. 4,310,405 to Heller, filing date Sep. 23, 1980;        15) U.S. Pat. No. 4,379,740 to Nazzal et al., filing date Jun. 21, 1982;        16) U.S. Pat. No. 4,381,978 to Gratzel et al., filing date Aug. 14, 1981;        17) U.S. Pat. No. 4,414,080 to Williams et al., filing date May 10, 1982;        18) U.S. Pat. No. 4,419,329 to Heller, filing date Apr. 15, 1982;        19) U.S. Pat. No. 4,528,252 to Yamazaki, filing date Mar. 28, 1983;        20) U.S. Pat. No. 4,643,817 to Appleby, filing date Jun. 7, 1985;        21) U.S. Pat. No. 4,656,103 to Reichman et al., filing date May 20, 19851        22) U.S. Pat. No. 4,709,916 to Murphy et al., filing date Aug. 18, 1987;        23) JP 8-290052 to Shinichi et al., filing date November 1996;        24) US 2002/0155330 A1 to Tanaka, filing date February 2002;        25) US 2004/0009392 A1 to Petillo et al., filing date April 2003;        26) U.S. Pat. No. 3,917,520 to Katz et al., filing date November 1974;        27) U.S. Pat. No. 4,107,008 to Horvath, filing date December 1976;        28) U.S. Pat. No. 4,203,814 to Grantham, filing date November 1978;        29) U.S. Pat. No. 4,227,977 to Grantham, filing date August 1979;        30) U.S. Pat. No. 4,235,694 to Hall, filing date October 1978;        31) U.S. Pat. No. 4,236,984 to Grantham, filing date November 1979;        32) U.S. Pat. No. 4,263,110 to Meyerand, Jr., filing date December 1979;        33) U.S. Pat. No. 4,263,111 to Hooper et al., filing date December 1979;        34) U.S. Pat. No. 4,394,231 to Nicolas, filing date August 19981;        35) U.S. Pat. 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No. 5,968,325 to Oloman et al., filing date January 1997;        75) U.S. Pat. No. 6,336,430 B2 to de Souza, et al., filing date June 1998;        76) JP368791 to Takayuki, filing date March 1991; and        77) JP2000-192275 to Mutsuki, filing date July 2000.        
There is therefore a need for an apparatus and associated method for generating, storing, transporting, and using gaseous hydrogen in hydrogen fuel cells which is simple to use, safe, low in cost, and which is applicable for use in commercial hydrogen fuel cell applications. Furthermore, a need exists for the generation of hydrogen gas that utilizes an inexpensive and renewable source of energy, so that the cost of generating hydrogen gas is minimized, and so that the benefits of hydrogen fuel cell technology are not offset by the waste products produced in generating the hydrogen gas.
The apparatus and method disclosed in the present application overcome the drawbacks of the current technology. Solar energy, a renewable and free source of energy, is utilized to generate the necessary electric current used for separating hydrogen from water. While any source of water may be used, salt water is preferred. The apparatus is configured such that it is small enough to be easily transportable; it floats in a pool, pond, or other body of water; it utilizes solar energy to generate the electric current required to separate hydrogen from water; and the hydrogen is stored in a zeolite rod that is easily removable, storable, and usable in fuel cells. The drawbacks of the prior art are thus overcome by the features and elements of the present invention.
All patents, patent applications and publications discussed or cited herein are incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication or patent application was specifically and individually set forth in its entirety.